Lock retainer



March 31, 1953 POUPITCH 2,633,011

LOCK RETAINER Filed July 16, 1949 vl/g INVENTOR.

W Z ZJ m ayai Patented Mar. 31, 1953 LOCK RETAINER Ougljesa Jules Poupitch, Chicago, 111., assignor to Illinois Tool Works, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 16, 1949, Serial No. 105,094

Claims. (Cl. 70-370) This invention generally relates to fastening devices for securing cylindrical lock structures or the like on apertured panels and work pieces.

Lock structures are usually secured to apertured work panels in such a manner that one portion of the lock structure is positioned on one side of the panel and the remainder of the lock structure is on the other side of the panel. It is desirable in certain applications to be able to attach the lock structure to a panel by merely insertingthe pro-assembled lock structure and lock retainer in an aperture in the work panel. This feature is particularly desirable when applying a lock structure to a completed automobile door or compartment in which the other side of the panel is-covered by upholstering material or otherwise rendered inaccessible. In order to properly secure the lock body on the work panel it must be held against both axial and rotative movement. In most installations it is desirable to be able to effect axial adjustment and tightening of the lock barrel relative to the panel. Fasteners used heretofore in the art for securing lock fasteners and the like to so-called blind apertures have generally been found to be unsatisfactory. For example certain of these prior structures require special preparation of the panel such as drilling a plurality of holes therein, thus increasing the possibility of chipping or otherwise damaging the surface or finish on the work panel. Some of the prior fasteners require additional structures to be applied to the work panel to prevent axial rotation or canting of the lock structure in the aperture. These relatively complex structures are not economical and require considerable labor to apply them to the Work piece. These prior devices make no provision for .axial adjustment and tightening of the lock structure with respect to the work panel. 3

The present invention contemplates providing a lock retainer which is adapted to secure a, lock body to a blind aperture by pre-assembling the lock retainer about the lock body and then inserting the assembly through an aperture in a work panel.

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a lock retainer for lock structures which will permit mounting of the lock structure in blind apertures with a minimum of effort.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide a lock retainer for securing alock structure to a work panel by merely inserting the pro-assembled lock structure and lock retainer in an aperture in the Work panel.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved lock retainer of the type described which is designed to retain the lock against axial and rotative movement relative to the panel on which it is mounted. 3

A further object of the invention is to provide a lock retainer of the type described which allows relative axial adjustment and tightening of the lock body and the work panel.

It is still another object of the present invention: to provide a lock retainer adapted to secure a lockstructure to a work panel without the application of any additional retaining structures to the work panel.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a lock retainer of the type described which can be made from sheet material by practicing well known manufacturing methods and which may be produced and assembled ec'onomi cally. 1

These and other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: iv

Figure 1 is a side view showing a fastener em bodying the principles of the present invention assembled about a cylindrical member such as a lock body, the assembly being shown preparatory to insertion in an aperture in a work piece;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing'- the lock retainer and lock body assembly secured to a work piece with certain portions of the lock retainer and lock body shown in cross section to better illustrate the cooperation between the lock retainer and the work piece; I 1

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lock retainer illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 in position for insertion through an aperture in a work piece;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view of the lock retainer shown in Figur'e3 as seen in the direction of the arrows alongthe line 4-4 thereof;'

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the lock retainer shown in Figure 3 as seen in the direction of the arrows along the line 5-5 thereof;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the blank from which the body of the lock retainer is formed; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the retainer nut member ready for assembly with the retainer body.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numer-; als have been employed to designate similar parts;- throughout the various figures, it will be seen that the present invention contemplates a fasten: er device or lock retainer designated generally by the numeral 48. In Figures 1 and 2 the fastener I8 is shown applied to a lock structure, generally designated by the numeral l2, having a lock body [4 which is substantially cylindrical in shape. The fastener I8 is adapted to be fitted around the lock body l4 to form an assembly and then this assembly is adapted to be secured to a work piece I6 by merely pushing the assembly through an aperture I8 formed therein as demonstrated in Figures 1 and 2.

The fastener or retainer device l8 comprises generally a body member 28 and a retainer nut member designated generally by the numeral 22 which are shown assembled together in Figures 3, 4 and 5. Body member 28 isinade from a strip of sheet material such as sheet metal or other suitable material by stamping or otherwise forming a suitably shaped blank 24 such as shown in Figure 6 and then bending and folding this blank into the shape shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5. The body member 28 is substantially a cylinder formed by overlapping the ends 26 and 28 of the strip of material from which this body member 28-is made. As may be best seen in Figure 5 ends 26 and 28 of the strip have a substantial flat portion which extends for a short distance. The end 26 and 28 have their longitudinal edges folded at right angles to the fiat portions thereof to form laterally extending flanges 38 and 32 respectively. The remainder of the strip is formed into what is substantially a portion of a cylinder with the flat portions of ends 26 and 28 disposed perpendicular to a diameter of the cylinder. The fiat portions of ends 26 and 28 project outwardly from the cylinder to form a key portion whose purpose will be more fully explained hereinafter. As may be'best seen in Figure 4 the end portions 26 and 28 have coinciding apertures 34 and 36 formed therein.

Four fingers 38, 48, 42 and 44 are formed on one of thefree ends of the body member 28 by cutting pairs of longitudinally extending slots at spaced intervals around the circumference thereof Fingers 38, 48, 42 and 44 do not extend to the outermost edge of the body member 28 and are disposed outwardly at an angle with respect to the circumference of body member 28. The purpose of this structure of the fingers 88, 40, 42. and 44 is to allow them to pass through an aperture to the opposite side of a work piece 0 after which they will tend to spring outwardly and engage the above mentioned opposite side of the work piece.

Formed on the same free edge of the body member 28 as that on which are formed fingers 38, 48, 42 and 44 is an outwardly and laterally extending flange 46. As may be best seen. in Figure 4, flange 46 extends above the free ends of fingers 38, 48, 42 and 44.

A pair of apertures 48-48 as shown may be provided in the body member 28 to facilitate handling of blank 24 during the forming and assembly operations.

In certain applications wherein the lock retainer will not be subjected to heavy strains the end portions 26 and 28 will be extruded in the vicinity of the apertures 34 and 36 to form a bolt or screw receiving member. This extrusion will also serve to hold the end portions26 and 28 in the assembled position. For applications in which the retainer will be subjected to relatively heavy stresses and strains, the retainer nut member 22 is provided to give the recess additional strength and in addition to hold the end portions 26 and 28 in position.

The retainer nut 22 as shown in Figure 7 is a rectangularly shaped body member 58 whose length is equal to the longitudinal dimension of body member 28. An extrusion or lateral projection 52 is formed substantially at the center of body member 58 in such a position that when body member 50 is placed in the position shown in Figures 4 and 5 the extrusion 52 will project through the apertures 34 and 36 in the end portions 26 and 28 respectively. When inposition the extrusion 52 performs the function of holding the end portions 26 and 28 in the proper relation so that body member 28 is retained in its cylindrical form. A pair of laterally extending flanges 54 and 56 are formed on the shorter ends of body portion 58 and extend inthe same direction as extrusion 52. Range 54, which is adapted to be positioned at the same end of body member 28 that carries the fingers when the retainer nut 22 and the body member 28 are assembled, has a pair of laterally extending ears 58 and 68. After the retainer nut 22 and the body member 28 have been assembled in the position shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 the outermost end 62 of flange 56 is turned upwardly from the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 4 to that shown in solid lines. The U-shaped end formed by body member 58, flange 56 and end 62 will firmly hold the lower end of end portions 26 and 28 in the assembled position. Flange 56 cooperating with the extrusion 52 will positively hold the body member 28 in the shape illustrated.

- Figure 6 shows the stamped blank 24 from which the body member 20 is formed. It is seen that the apertures 34, 36, and 48 and the fingers 38., 48, 42 and 44 are formed directly in the stamping operation. The right-hand end 64 of the blank 24 is formed into the end portion 26 by folding the blank along the dot dash fold lines in the proper direction and similarly the other end 65 of blank 24 will be formed into end portion 28. The outwardly projecting tab 68 at the center of the blank 24 will be folded to form the laterally extending flange 46. After the above described stamping and folding operations, body member 28 will be ready to receive the retainer nut22. With the flange 56 in the position shown. in Figure 7 retainer nut 22 is slipped inside the cylinder and the extrusion 52 is passed through the apertures 34 and 36 formed in the ends of the body member 28. The end 62 of fiange 56 is then bent upwardly to the position shown in Figure 4, thus locking members 28 and 22 together. The aperture 68 in extrusion 52 receives a self-tapping screw 18 which is driven therein. If preferred, the interior of extrusion 52 may be tapped to receive an ordinary screw. The cylindrical body such as lock body [4 which is to be attached by the fastener Hi to the work piece 16 is then inserted into the central aperture in body member 28 in the position shown in Figure 1. When the lock body I4 is in the proper position, screw 78 is tightened to engage the lock body and form the pre-assembly previously mentioned.

Work piece 16 needs only a single aperture l8 formed therein in order to receive the fastener (8. This aperture [8 comprises a generally circular portion on one side of which is formed a rectangularly shaped recess 12 that acts as a keyway and receives the laterally extending projection on body member 28. Recess 12 has a width equal to that of the end portion 26 and is of a length to allow the passage of the head of screw 10 therethrough when the fastener I is inserted in position.

The assembly is then placed in the position shown in Figure 1 after which the assembly is urged towards the work piece [6 until it reaches the position shown in Figure 2. As the fastener I0 is being pushed to the position shown in Fi ure 2 the fingers 38, 40, 42 and 44 will be pressed inwardly by the edges of the aperture 18 and when the assembly reaches the position shown in Figure 2 these fingers will spring outwardly and engage the under side of the work piece 16. Laterally extending flange 46 and the cars 58 and 60 of flange 54 which extend beyond the edges of projection 12 of aperture I8 will engage the upper side of work piece l6. It'is seen them that the margin surrounding the work piece aperture l8 will be engaged on either side thereof by the fastener means on retainer Ill. The fingers 38, 40, 42 and 44 will positively prevent inadvertent withdrawal of the assembly from the work panel and the flanges 46 and 54 will positively limit the distance that fastener I 0 may be pushed into aperture Hi. In addition flanges 46 and 54 prevent canting of the retainer l0 after it has been placed in position. The end portion 25 fits snugly within portion 12 of aperture l8 and thus positively prevents rotation of the fastener H) with respect to the work piece l5.

After the lock and fastener assembly has been placed in the position shown in Figure 2 in certain instances it may be desirable to tighten the lock structure 12 against the upper surface of work piece i6. To this end an axially extending tear-drop shaped recess 14 is provided in the lock body i4. As seen in Figure 2 the cross sec tion of this slot is approximately triangular in shape with the deepest portion thereof positioned between the point of contact between screw and the work piece l6 when the lock structure is in the assembled position. It is obvious that as screw 10 is tightened the lock; structure l2 will tend to move so that the tip of screw Ill falls deeper into slot 14 and thus the lock structure l2 will be pulled tightly against the upper surface of work piece I6. This feature of adjustment also more firmly attaches the lock body l4 within retainer [0.

It is seen therefore that a relatively simple and economical fastener for securing cylindrical members to work pieces has been provided which may be made by well known methods of fabrication. This fastener overcomes the defects of prior devices and fulfills all of the above named objects. The cylindrical member and the fastener may be pre-assembled to form a compact easily handled assembly which can be firmly attached to a work piece by merely inserting the assembly through a single aperture formed therein. This feature is particularly important when the assembly is to be mounted on or assembled to a work panel such as a finished and upholstered automobile door in which the rear side of the work panel is inaccessible. No additional structures attached to the work piece are needed to secure the fastener assembly thereto. Since the lock barrel and the lock retainer are held in fixed relationship by the stud member and since the key portion of the lock retainer is positioned in a fixed manner on the work panel, the lock barrel will be properly pcsitioned with respect to the work panel and no adjustment between the lock barrel and the work panel will be necessary. Furthermore, when the assembly is in position it is positively prevented from partaking of rotational and axial or canting movement with respect to the work piece. After assembly the cylindrical body may be drawn tight against the work piece by a simple screw driver adjustment.

Although one preferred example of the invention has been shown for purposes of illustration it is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made therein without de-' parting from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood therefore that the invention is to be limited only as indicated by the appended claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A sheet metal fastening member for attaching cylindrical objects to apertured work pieces comprising a strip of sheet material substantially cylindrical in shape with the ends of said strip overlying each other to form a body member;

having aligned apertures in. said ends of the strip, and a retaining member engaging the free ends of said strip and holding said strip in cylindrical form, said body member having resilient fingers formed therefrom and an outwardly extending flange of limited circumferential extent formed thereon adjacent one end thereof, said retaining member having a laterally extending flange formed thereon at the end thereof adjacent said end of said body member, said resilient fingers being adapted to engage one side of said work piece and said flanges being adapted cooperatively to engage the other side of said work piece whereby to hold said fastening member in position upon said work piece.

2. A sheet metal fastening member for attaching cylindrical objects to apertured work pieces comprising a strip of sheet material substantially cylindrical in shape with the ends of said strip overlying each other to form a body member, and a retaining member engaging the free ends of said strip and holding said strip in cylindrical form, said retaining member and said overlying ends having coinciding apertures formed therein, the material surrounding the aperture in said retaining member having threads formed therein to receive a threaded stud member whereby to hold a cylindrical object in position within said body member, said body member having resilient fingers formed therefrom and an outwardly extending flange formed thereon adjacent one end thereof, said retaining member having a laterally extending flange formed thereon at the end thereof adjacent said end of said body member, said resilient fingers being adapted to engage one side of said work piece and said flanges being adapted to engage the other side of said work piece whereby to hold said fastening member in position upon said work piece.

3. A sheet metal fastening member for attaching cylindrical objects to an apertured work piece comprising a strip of sheet material substantially cylindrical in shape with the ends of said strip overlying each other to form a body member, said overlying ends being offset laterally and outwardly from said body member to form a radial projection, a retaining element interconnecting the free ends of said strip to hold said strip in cylindrical form, said overlying ends having coinciding apertures formed therein, said retaining element having a sleeve extending into and aligning the aforesaid apertures to receive a screw and having flange means lapping the overlying edges of the strip, and means for mounting said fastening member upon the apertured Work piece from one side thereof.

4. A sheet metal fastener member adapted for insertion through an apertured work piece from the. front face thereof to support a substantially cylindrical object, and comprising a strip of sheet metal substantially cylindrical in shape with the ends of the strip overlying each other to form a body member and offset laterally and outwardly from the cylindrical portion of the body mem ber to form a radial projection, a retaining member engaging, the ends of the strip to hold the same in substantially cylindrical form, the entering end of said body member adapted to be passed through the aperture in the work piece to a. position substantially spaced from the inner face: thereof, and means at the end opposite said entering end of the body member providing cooperating shoulder portions including shoulder portions which project radially from the periphcry of the cylindrical portion of the body member to limit insertion thereof by engagement with-the outer face of the work piece, and additional outwardly extending flexible shoulder portions. spaced axially inwardly from said first shoulder portions and adapted to flex inwardly during insertion and snap outwardly into engagement with the inner face of the work piece, said radial projection traversing at least a portion'of the axial distance spacing said shoulder portions to prevent rotation'of, the body member by engagement with the work piece aperture, and means mounted in the radial projection for extension into the cylindrical portion of the body member to engage and support an object therein.

5. A sheet metal fastener member of the type described in claim 1, wherein said retaining member is provided with an extrusion, said extrusion adapted to retain the apertures in the ends of said sheet metal strip in alignment and adapted to receive a screw member.

OUGLJESA J ULES POUPITCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

, UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

